


Lebanon- YWaC Remix

by AU_Ruler



Series: Younger Winchester and Co. [3]
Category: RWBY, Supernatural
Genre: Angst, Episode: s14e13 Lebanon, F/M, Fluff, Jaune and Cardin are bonded, M/M, Melancholy Ending, The Power Of Love, along with… others, and married, basically i rewrote the whole episode, john winchester isn’t a dick, the whole michael plotline doesn’t exist, with some minor changes here and there
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-17
Updated: 2019-05-17
Packaged: 2020-03-06 21:43:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,474
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18859696
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AU_Ruler/pseuds/AU_Ruler
Summary: Sam and Dean find a pearl that lets you have the desires of your heart in the backroom of a shop. So of course they bring it home to use.





	Lebanon- YWaC Remix

**Author's Note:**

> It's my one year anniversary of making the first story for this crossover! So, I figured what better way to celebrate then by rewriting Lebanon?

“So, what do I-” Dean started to ask as he took the pearl from Sam.

“I don’t know. I-I guess you -- you hold the pearl and -- and concentrate on what your heart desires,” Sam told him, shrugging his shoulders.  
“Dad, got it,” Dean said. Then he took the pearl, and clutched it in his hand with his eyes clenched shut. The other three in the room watched him anxiously. Cardin shifted his weight between his feet, hand on the pendant around his neck. Suddenly he wasn’t so sure it was a good idea to be here for this. At least, not without Jaune or Velvet. Not after hating John for so long. But he’d come to terms with everything a long time ago. From his mother’s death, to John never knowing about him. Dean opened his eyes a crack, and looked around. “Did it work?”

“I’m not sure,” Castiel said. “I can’t sense anythi-” The lights died and the emergency supply came on, cutting him off. 

Everything was bathed in dark red. A body appeared in front of them. Someone with a gun. Sam, the closest to them, reacted first. Purely on instinct, he went to punch their face. The person dodged, and hit him hard in the gut with his gun. With Sam’s face next, and a hard shove to his shoulder that pushed him to the ground.  Dean went for a punch as well, but the person used the gun to deflect it. They hit his chin with the butt of the gun and kicked him in the gut, sending him to the ground as well. Cardin went lower than they had, going to grab them around the middle. But the person side-stepped him, and grabbed him around the waist instead. Then he turned his body, and sent him into a well. From the side, Castiel watched all of this. There was something familiar about this man. Though, Castiel couldn’t quite place it.

The person cocked his gun, muzzle pointed at Dean. “Don’t you move,” he whispered. The lights turned back on.

Dean blinked in surprise, and Sam gasped slightly. “Dad?”

John stood there, looking between Sam and Dean. His hair was buzzed short, a military cut. Just like Dean remembered from soon after Sam had left for Stanford.

“Dean? Sam?” John said.

“John?” Cardin pushed himself from the wall. His voice caused John to glance back. And all those years of wanting to meet him. Wanting to make him pay for what John’d done to his mom. All of it came roaring back in a moment. Even though he’d already let it go. Before anyone could do anything Cardin had crossed the room and punched the taller man square in the face. His brothers protested, and Dean took a step toward him. But it was finished just as soon as it'd begun, and Cardin stepped back slightly.

John rubbed his face where he'd been hit, and squinted at Cardin. Then there was a light, almost like recognition in his eyes. “What?” John glanced back to his older sons. Then he made a full circle, taking in the room around him. “What the hell?”

John turned to Sam, who’d just stood up with Dean. “Sammy, aren’t you supposed to be in Palo Alto? And Dean, who are  _ those _ two?”

“Palo Alto?” Sam repeated.

John squinted at Sam, and looked him over again, “What happened to you?”

“What year is it?” Dean asked before Sam could say anything, an identical squint on his features.

John glanced over at his oldest and scoffed, “It’s 2003.” He answered, though as he looked between his three boys and Cas, he began to look unsure.

“It’s 2019,” Sam told him.

This had John lean back. “No.” But when he seemed to realize they weren’t lying. “How?”

“We, uh,” Sam glanced at Dean, then Cas. When Cas nodded, he brightened slightly. “I- I think we summoned you.”

“You boys better tell me what the hell is going on right now.” John looked at them, eyes confused and voice hard in what Cardin felt sure was an effort to hide that.

Dean nodded, and then he led John into the kitchen. Sam and Castiel took up telling him all that had happened as they walked. When they got to the kitchen, John sat down and Dean poured him a stiff drink. One he gladly took.

After a sip, John tried to sum up what he’d been told. “So,” he pointed a finger at Dean. “you saved the world?” Sam looked down and nodded, a brief laugh escaping him when Dean added ‘more than once’. “Then it’s all true? God, the devil, you boys smack in the middle. Now you live in the bunker with your long-lost brother, his friends, a couple of angels, and Lucifer’s kid?” He looked between all of them, unbelieving.

“Yeah,” Dean and Sam said together.

“And you’ve done this whole time-travel thing before?” John asked, now more amused.

“Few times,” Dean admitted with a nod. “Actually, uh, our grandfather, your dad, he’s the one that helped us find this place,” Dean told him with a smile. “I think he’d be real happy to know you’re finally here.”

For a second, John copied the smile. “Right. Man ‘a Letters.” He shared a look with Dean. 

“Right, w-were legacies,” Sam told him, causing John to look over, “because of you.”

And that had John laugh. Something disbelieving, the cusp of a sigh. “So, you’ve, um- you’ve been busy.” He swiped a hand down his face.

“A little bit,” Sam agreed with a small smile.

“I- I don’t.” John shook his head, “I- I just.” Sighed, a proud look in his eyes as he looked between Sam and Dean. “I just wish that I had been there to see it.”

Dean smiled and looked back down at the table before meeting John’s eyes. “Dad, none of this would have happened without you.”

“It’s good. It’s fine,” John told his oldest with a smile. One he then shared with Sam. “I went out takin’ out Yellow Eyes. I mean, that was the point, right? I mean, get the thing that killed Mom.”

Sam smiled, before realization hit his eyes. Sam, Dean, and Cardin shared a look as John took a drink.

“Yeah, yeah, uh, Dad,” Sam started. He took a breath, obviously trying to figure out how to word it. “About Mom. Well, you see, Cardin wasn’t the only one-”

John frowned at him, confused. Then another voice called from the stairs.

“Sam? Dean? Cardin?” Mary.

John’s face scrunched in sorrow. Cardin could see the wetness at his eyes as John swallowed hard. “Mary?” His voice sounded choked. Choked and relieved. Like he’d just gotten something back that he’d missed for a very, very long time.  _ Because he had _ , Cardin knew.

Just as Mary walked in, John turned around and their eyes met. She paused in surprise. When John stood up she gasped. To Cardin she looked like she’d just seen a ghost. An image of a person she knew shouldn’t be there, but seemed to be. She approached him slowly, like she was unsure whether he was real or not. Then they kissed, turning in a small circle.

He watched for a second, along with Sam and Dean, until Sam gestured for them to leave. Dean nodded, and with a last look the four of them left.

In the hallway, Dean laughed unbelievingly. “It’s dad. It worked. It really worked.”

“Yeah, but this wasn’t how I thought it would happen.” Sam frowned, causing Dean to pause.

“What? What do you mean?” He sounded defensive.

“Messing with time,” Sam clarified.

“No, no, no, Sam.” Dean held up his finger, trying to stop his brother. But Sam wouldn’t be stopped.

“You know how this ends,” Sam told him seriously. “Things change.”  
“Yeah, great.” Dean threw his arms out. “We got our family back together. I’ll take that change.”

“That’s not what I mean-” Sam tried.

“Stop. Just stop, okay?”

“Dean, Sam’s right,” Cas agreed with Sam.

“Not you, too, Cas.” Dean glared at his husband. “Look, can- can we just have  _ one  _ family dinner? Just one?” He gestured around at the group, “Us, all together. That’s all I want. Can you just give me that?” With that, he walked away.

“Dean-” Sam tried again, but Cas but a hand on his shoulder. When Sam looked over at him, he shook his head.

“Dean will do what’s right in the end. We both know that, Sam. For now, let’s just give him what he needs. What all of you need.” Cas looked at him, and Sam sighed.

“Okay.” He nodded. Then he walked away to the library. Cas looked over at Cardin before he followed Dean. Leaving Cardin alone.

With a shake of his head, he went further down the hallway. John was back. At some point, he would have to talk to him. That was the point in being here. Heck, that was part of the point in hunting to begin with. Now the opportunity was finally here. Hopefully it wouldn’t end in him punching John again. But if it did, well.  _ That’s just how things go sometimes _ . He thought with a shrug, and he could almost feel Jaune’s disapproval. Like he’d thought it too loud, and Jaune had heard him. Perhaps he had.

‘ _ It worked. John’s back _ ,” Cardin told his husband as he walked. Might as well let him know now, so he wouldn’t be worried.

‘ _ You didn’t hit him or do anything dumb, did you? _ ’ Jaune responded, and Cardin scoffed out loud.

‘ _ Me? _ ’ Cardin asked him, and even if his inner voice sounded convincing (he didn’t think it did), he knew his emotions would give it away. Heck, with how well Jaune knew him he doubted his husband would even need his emotions to know the truth.

‘ _ You’re right. _ ’ Jaune said, inner voice highly sarcastic, ‘ _ I must be thinking of a different petty asshole. _ ’

Inwardly, Cardin laughed. ‘ _ I punched him. _ ’ He could feel Jaune’s responding sigh. ‘ _ That’s all, though. _ ’

‘ _ Okay, _ ’ Jaune said, and Cardin could picture him rolling his eyes and nodding. ‘ _ Just don’t start any fights, okay? _ ’

‘ _ Yes, mom. _ ’ Cardin said jokingly. ‘ _ And tell Velvet it worked, and that we’re all okay for me? _ ’

‘ _ I will. _ ’ There was a long pause in his words, that Cardin was sure meant Jaune had passed on his message to Velvet, and probably Jack as well. ‘ _ I have to go before Velvet gets Jack killed, love you. _ ’

This time Cardin laughed out loud, but he knew his amusement still traveled down their link. ‘ _ I love you too. _ ’

When his conversation was over, Cardin realized he'd walked to the doorway of the kitchen. Dean was there as well with a piece of paper, and Cas right behind him. Sam walked up from the other side at the same time.

“Dean, hold on. Hold on.” Sam told him, and Dean paused. Though Cardin could tell he wasn’t happy about it. “Just…”

“What?” Dean asked, short.

“Listen. You, um.” Sam sighed, “You’re right. This is what we wanted- needed- and if this is how we get it, well. Why analyze it?” He looked at the paper in Dean’s hand, “You want some company?”

Dean smiled. “Yeah, actually. I figured it’d be good to get us out of the bunker. Let mom and dad have some alone time, you know?”

Sam nodded. Cardin sighed, but nodded as well. Then they left the bunker, and John and Mary.

 

The car ride into town was quiet. Though, Dean certainly made it charged with excited energy. So much so Cardin even felt himself grow slightly excited at the prospect of a family dinner. Even if he was missing his key family members.

“Alright,” Dean started once the car was parked and everyone got out, “Me and Cas’ll get the booze, you two get the food.” Sam nodded, and they were off.

Dean entered the liquor store with Cas on his heels, and clapped his hands once. “Alright, Jackson. It’s celebration time. Give me your best stuff.” He walked up to the counter with a smile. One Jackson didn’t return for once.

“Uh, do I know you?” Jackson looked at him, confused.

“It’s Dean,” Dean told him, also growing confused. “Dean and Cas Campbell? We come in here, like, always.”

“Oh. Right.” Jackson nodded, though he didn’t look convinced. “Right.”

 

Sam and Cardin exited the grocery store, both with a bag of food. A girl walked past them that Cardin didn’t recognize, but Sam seemed to.

“Hey, Max,” he greeted her. But she just looked him over with a confused look and called him a weirdo.

“Creeping on teenagers, Sam?” Cardin asked him, eyebrows raised. But the look Sam gave him was one of vaguely worried confusion. One that continued when the post lady closed the window blinds on him after he greeted her.

Cardin finally felt the confusion as well when they passed a wanted poster with Dean’s face on it. “What?” Cardin voiced as Sam quickly tore the piece of paper from the window. He jogged the short distance to the car, paper curled in his hand.

“Dean, we have a problem,” Sam told him.

“Yeah. Yeah, we do,” Dean agreed as he looked up from his phone. He held it up to Sam and Cardin. “Check this out.”

“Is that Sam?” Cardin asked. It looked like Sam. If he also wore glasses and had the general composure of a top-class douche. Just looking at the picture made Cardin want to punch him.

“Yeah,” Dean said, sounding just as confused. He looked between Sam and the picture as he talked, likely comparing the two. “According to the internet Sam runs a law firm and loves kale. Wait till you check out your, uh, wannabe TED talk.” Then he pressed play.

“Invest in a treadmill desk, don’t drink coffee, and stick to a raw food diet. I mean, God bless kale – am I right? Truth is –” The Sam on the video said, and Cardin snorted at ‘god bless kale’. 

Sam moved his head back, face morphed slightly almost in confused disgusted, “Alright-”

“No, no,” Dean interrupted him. “It gets worse.”

The video continued, and Sam’s face scrunched more. “And this is hard to hear – performing at your best requires all of your mental energy. Every last drop. You see, it’s just not compatible with something like, uh… hobbies or, uh – or even having a family.”

At that Sam reached out and turned Dean’s phone off, cutting off the video him. “Okay. That’s enough of that.”

“I’m curious to see what you say next,” Cardin said, and Sam glared at him.

“Listen, Dean.” Sam held up the paper. “There’s a wanted poster for you.”

“Oh, no, yeah. W-we googled me as well.” Dean gestured his head back to Cas. “Um, lotta beheadings. Cas thinks you’re right. Said it’s a- uh-”

“Temporal paradox,” Cas provided.

“Yeah, that,” Dean said. “Apparently pullin’ Dad outta 2003 caused a Marty Mcfly kinda effect.”

“A Marty Mcfly effect?” Cardin questioned.

“Yes,” Cas said. “If things stay as they are, eventually you will all morph into this timeline’s version of yourselves.”

“Which is fine for me, I’m cool,” Dean said. “But you’re-” he looked over at Sam and made a disgusted voice.

“That’s not the point,” Sam said. “I- if all this is different, then what else changed? What about Cas, Dean? What happens to him? And the rest of the world?”

 

Somewhere else, lightning flashed and an angel who hadn’t lived for a long time suddenly stood alone in a dark alley. He walked down the alley, and stepped in a puddle with a burger wrapper in it with a sigh. “Earth. Where you’re always stepping in something.” His voice was filled with disgust.  “Come on, Constantine.”

He continued to walk, but looked back confused when there wasn’t a response. “Castiel?”

 

“Well, obviously we gotta fix it before it goes bad. Eventually,” Dean told Sam.

“Eventually? We don’t know how much time we have!” Sam said.

‘We have time enough for dinner. That’s how much we have.” Dean looked at him pointedly before he got in the car, and closed the door.

“Dean-” Sam started when he got in the car, but stopped. Dean’s head was against the steering wheel.

“How are we gonna tell Dad?” He sighed.

“I don’t know.” Sam said sadly. “How are we gonna tell Mom?”

“Let’s get out of here.” Dean went to start the car, but a sudden bright light coming from the diner interrupted them. Castiel stiffened in his seat next to Cardin. In the mirror, he briefly met Dean’s eyes. “Cas, what is it?” Then Cas was gone.

“Oh, son of a bitch,” Dean growled and got out of the car, Sam and Cardin following suit.

The three rushed into the diner, where Cas was with what Cardin was sure was another angel.

“Castiel, so glad you could make it.” The angel smiled at him, though it wasn’t really much of a smile. It was more of a weird grimace. “You know how I hate to get my hands dirty, kill them would you?” He gestured to the kids and waitress who’d backed against a wall.

“Get out, go, go,” Dean told them, and Sam and Cardin ushered them through the door.

The angel looked from Cas back to them with a frown, “The Winchesters?”

“Zachariah?” Sam asked.

So that who the angel was. Cardin vaguely remembered him from the Winchester Gospels. He was the angel that Cas worked with. Apparently John being gone meant he was still alive.

“Now, I know we had big plans for you. And then your daddy just up and disappeared-” A look of realization came over Zachariah’s face. His voice got cold and angry.  “Oh. You. This is all you.” He turned to Cas with a disgusted look. “Kill them.”

“What?” Cas frowned at him.

“Are you dumb?” Zachariah asked him. “Kill those three!”

“No,” Cas told him, and inched closer to Dean. With a frown, Zachariah followed the movement. Then he laughed.

“This is your fault as well, isn’t it?” He directed his question at Dean. “You know, Castiel is supposed to be the best of us. The perfect soldier. But if you’ve gotten to him I can’t imagine that’s stayed.” He glanced at Cas, who now stood between Zachariah and Dean. “No, it looks like he’s defective now.” Then he pulled out an angel blade.

“Such a shame, really.” Zachariah walked toward them. “Having to kill you. Such a waste of potential, but.” He shrugged. “What else can you do when something becomes broken, other than throw it away and get a new one?”

Dean glared at Zachariah, “Cas isn’t broken! He’s better than he ever was with you dicks.” When he stepped forward, pulling out his own angel blade, Cas stopped him.

“No. I’ve killed him once before.” Cas drew his blade. “I’ll do it again.” For a second Dean looked worried, but he nodded and stepped back.

“ _ You _ killed  _ me _ ?” Zachariah laughed and gestured to Dean. “I doubt you could do much with your apparent loyalty toward that stupid mud monkey.”

“That  _ mud monkey _ ,” Cas growled. “Is my husband and I will not have you speak about him in that way.”

“Husband?” Zachariah took a step back, looking as if he were struck. “Oh, you’re far more broken then I’d thought.”

“No, I’m not.” Cas struck then, reaching out and grabbing Zachariah by the collar. He spun them, and slammed him against the wall hard enough Cardin as sure he felt the building shake. “Loving him does not make me weak, as so many of you seem to think.” Cas smiled, chest puffed out. “With his love, and the love of my  _ family _ I’m stronger now than I’ve ever been.” With those words, Zachariah’s eyes widened.

“Castiel! You can’t possibly truly love these mud monkeys! They’re inferior to you. To  _ us _ . They don’t  _ deserve _ your love.” Zachariah went to continue, but Cas plunged his blade into his chest, cutting him off. Cas leaned in close, and whispered something to him. Whatever it was had his eyes widen more. Then Cas pulled the blade out, and Zachariah lit up blue. Cardin covered his eyes quickly. When he looked back, Zachariah’s body hand slumped to the floor and his wings were burned into the building.

“What did you say to him?” Dean asked, his voice sounding hoarse.

“Nothing of consequence.” Cas put his blade away and turned back to them. “Shall we go?”

Dean swallowed heavily, and nodded.

As they went back to the car, Cardin looked over his shoulder, back at the store. “Killing him here won’t mess with the timeline, will it?”

Sam frowned, and looked back at Cas. His eyes were questioning.

“I-” Cas hesitated. “I don’t believe so.”

“I don’t believe so?” Dean asked him, eyebrows raised in the mirror as he backed out. “What do you mean ‘I don’t believe so’?” He mimicked Cas’ voice.

“Just what I said, Dean. I don’t think it will have any lasting side effects on the overall space time continuum.”

“Seriously?” Dean sighed. “You don’t know, and you still killed him?”

“Well what else was I supposed to do?” Cas asked him.

“I don’t know, not kill the dick?”

Sam and Cardin shared a weary look, both hunkering down lower in their seats. It would be a long ride back. Thankfully, by the time they got back to the bunker Cas and Dean have already made up.

 

When they go in, Sam and Dean go to explain the paradox to Mary and John. Alone. Cardin walked in on John and Dean just as Dean left. He didn’t say anything, though. Didn’t really know what to say.

“Cardin.” John said after a minute of silence. “How’s your mom?”

“Dead,” Cardin told him. Voice steady, though he was sure it sounded weaker than he’d meant it to. And sure it had a hint of accusation in it, from the way John turned toward him.

John looked him up and down. “What happened?” He asked.

“The witch came back.” Cardin shrugged. “Rufus and two other hunters saved me. He didn’t kill it, though. My sister and I did that.”

“Sister?” John asked, eyes confused. “Your mom had other kids?”

“No,” Cardin shook his head with a dry laugh. “She’s a hunter I met on the road. We basically adopted each other. First family I had after mom died.”

“Oh.” John nodded. “Look, Cardin, I’m sorry-”

“No.” Cardin held up a hand. “I held a grudge against you for a long damn time. For leaving mom without so much of a goodbye, for never knowing that she had a kid, for not killing the witch. But like I said. That was a long time ago.” He smiled. “After a while, I got to thinking maybe you never returned to protect her. From the life. If you did, thank you. If you didn’t, well. I don’t want to hear about it.”

For a while John was silent. Then he nodded. “Okay.”

There’s another stretch of silence. “So, how’d you get dragged into the life?”

“Rufus.” Cardin shrugged. “After my mom died, I convinced him to teach me hunting.”

John raised an eyebrow. “You convinced him? Rufus?”

“Well, maybe it was more ‘annoyed him until he agreed’.” Cardin smiled at the memory, and for a second, the corner of John’s mouth lifted as well. “We should go before Dean drags us to the table.”

That made John laugh, and they walked to the table together.

 

The meal was awkwardly quiet as they ate. Silverware clinking was the only sound in the room for a while. Cardin sat there, playing with his wedding band. A look was shared between him and Cas. The look of not quite feeling like they fully belong in this moment. Cas lifted his mouth in an awkward smile that Cardin matched. Finally, John broke the silence.

“Alright. Near as I can tell, we have two choices. Alright, we can think about what’s coming. Or we can be grateful for this time that we have together. Now, me…” John took Mary’s hand in his. “I choose to be grateful.” He kissed Mary’s hand, and she smiled.

“So, to whatever brought us together,” John continued and looked up, “we owe you one. Amen.”

“Amen,” Dean repeated, followed suit by Cas who took his hand under the table.

“Amen,” Mary agreed.

“Amen,” Sam and Cardin said last. Then the six clinked their cups together.

“So, Cardin,” John looked at him, and gestured to his hand. “A ring?”

“Yeah,” Cardin smiled, and felt his chest grow warm.

“Who’s the lucky girl? A hunter?” John asked him, and Dean looked at him worriedly. Cardin knew it was likely in fear to whatever John’s response would it be to him being gay. But Cardin felt none of that. He’d never cared how people felt about his sexuality, and he certainly wouldn’t change now. Not when he was so happy.

“He’s actually an angel. Though, I’d say I’m the lucky one.” Cardin smiled.

“He?” John raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah. Funnily enough, his name’s Jaune,” Cardin said.

John’s face scrunched at that, but after a few seconds he laughed. “Another Jaune in the family. Never thought it’d happen. Definitely not like this.” He shook his head in amusement.

“Dad? You’re not upset he’s gay?” Dean frowned at him, confused.

“Why would I be?” John asked. “He seems happy. That’s a rare thing for hunters. I’m glad he found someone.”

“Thank you,” Cardin said, and he was surprised to find he meant it. Then, he turned to Dean. “Don’t you have something to tell him as well?”

“Um.” Dean froze, and coughed. Both hands came to rest on the table. John looked at him expectantly. “You see, well.” He took a breath and glanced at Cas. “A long ass time ago, while I was in purgatory, I got hitched.”

“Hitched?” John glanced at Mary, who gave him a knowing smile.

“Me an’ Cas got married.” He reached down to grab Cas’ left hand, showing John their matching rings.

“Congratulations. Two sons married to angels, that’s.” John stared. There was a smile on his face, but it looked equally as disbelieving as it did happy. Not that Cardin could blame him. It was a lot to take in.

“Actually,” Sam cut in.

“Actually?” John asked him, eyebrow raised.

“I also got married. Gabriel. The archangel,” Sam told him, and from the look that came over John’s face, Cardin thought he’d have a heart attack. Next to John, Mary just laughed.

“I had the same reaction when I learned about the boys, too,” she told him.

They all laughed at that. And with the laughter, the final strands of awkwardness fell away. For all of them.

By the time dinner was over, and they were cleaning up, Cardin found himself wishing for more time. He knew his brothers felt the same.

“Did you see them, at dinner? The way they looked at each other?” Sam asked Cardin and Dean. “They just seemed happy, you know?” He looked back toward the war room, were Mary and John still were. “It just doesn’t seem fair to get all this and have to throw it all away, and I  _ know  _ we have to. It just feels like, you know.” With a sigh, he handed a dish to Cardin to put away. “Once we send dad back, it’s like none of this ever happened. He- he just goes back to- to- to being Dad.”

Dean turned to Sam as he washed a fork, “You saying you wish things would be different?”

“Don’t you?” Sam asked him and started to absently dry the fork Dean handed him, “Can you imagine- Dad, in the past, knowing then what he knows now? I think it would be nice.”

“Yeah.” Dean handed him the last dish, a spoon, “I used to think that too.” Then he dried his hands and leaned against the sink. “But, uh.” He sighed and thought for a moment. “I mean, look, we’ve been through some tough times. There’s no denying that.”

“Yeah.” Both Sam and Cardin agreed. Though he hadn’t been there for most of them, he had heard about most of them. And he had been here for a few of them. It was enough to agree.

“And for the longest time, I blamed Dad.” Dean admitted. Cardin released a breath, half a laugh. Dean ignored it, as well as Sam’s look of confusion. “I mean, hell, I blamed Mom, too, you know? I was angry. But say we could send Dad back knowing everything. Why stop there? Why not send him even  _ further  _ back, and let some other poor sons of bitches save the world?” He paused and looked at Sam, then Cardin. “But here’s the problem. Who does that make us? Where does that leave the people in our lives that we’ve found?”

Sam looked at him. “Would we be better off? Would they?” Dean asked. “Well, maybe. But I gotta be honest: I don’t know who that Dean Winchester is. And I am good with who I am. I’m good with who you are. Who he is. ‘Cause our lives, they’re  _ ours _ . And maybe I’m just too damn old to want to change that.”

They let the silence hang heavily in the air for a while. Then Sam nodded. “Alright. Yeah, you’re right. We’ve fought hard for this.” Sam looked at Cardin, then Dean. “We all have.” He smiled. “Maybe I’m too old to change it, too.”

 

Minutes later and Mary is clutching to John’s hand, tears only beginning to come to her eyes. “I hate this.” She whispered.

John nodded. “So do I.” He told her, just as low. Tears brimmed his eyes, too. After another moment of silence where the six of them just looked at each other, and away from each other, sadly, John sighed. “Okay.”

He turned to Mary, and took both of her hands with a sad smile. “My girl.” Mary breathed sharply, but smiled. “I miss you  _ so damn much _ .”

“Me too,” Mary agreed with another sharp breath. The tears hadn’t breached her eyelids yet, but Cardin knew they were close. She kissed John. Then they held each other tightly. When they parted, the tears were falling lightly from both their eyes. But they smiled.

“You four,” John looked at them. “You take care of each other.”

“We always do,” Sam assured him.

“Cas, make sure Dean doesn’t do anything stupid,” John told him.

“I will, sir,” Cas promised.

“The three of you?” John glanced between his sons. “Try your best not to lose them.”

“We’ll try our hardest not to.” Cardin smiled.

“Good to see you, Dad,” Dean told him.

“Yeah.” John agreed with a nod, and his breath hitched. “I am  _ so _ proud of you boys.”

Cardin glanced between Sam and Dean, both who were now crying. He swiped his hand under his glasses, surprised to find that he was, too. Even after everything. After only knowing John through stories, and through his own haze of hate- though it did slowly turn to a simple dislike. He didn’t wish him to leave either.

John pulled the three of them into a teary hug. “I love you so much.”

“I love you, too.” Dean whispered.

After a moment, John pulled away. “Okay.” He took a deep breath. “Okay. I’m ready.”

He smiled at Mary, and retook her hand. Through tears she smiled back. Then he looked to Sam. “Sammy.”

Sam took his cue, and reached for the pearl. He picked it up, looked at it, then looked back at John. Questioning. But John nodded his head. So he put the pearl down on the table, and picked up the mortar. John squeezed Mary’s hand. With a last look, Sam slammed the dish onto the pearl. Shattering it. Dean flinched at the sound, and Cardin found himself do the same.

John left them in a glow the same colour the bunker had turned when he arrived.

Mary looked down at her empty hand, and took a shuddering breath. Tears flowed down her cheek. But she steadied her jaw, and they stopped. She looked around. Almost like she couldn’t believe he’d really gone. Or that he’d even been there. But they all knew he had, and he was. The sorrow hung over the room like a heavy, wet blanket.

“Is it, fixed?” Mary eventually asked Cas through a thick voice.

“Yes,” he told her. “Everything is back to normal.”

 

Sixteen years in the past, John Winchester woke in his car to a ringing phone. With a dream, that felt almost too real to truly be a dream, playing at the edges of his memory.


End file.
